Goats numbers up in SA

The forum was attended by about 60 people from the livestock and meat processing sectors, as well as conservation and natural resource management groups.

It came as goats hit new price highs of about $6.50 a kilogram carcaseweight.

SA Arid Lands NRM board presiding member Janet Brook said goat numbers had been booming.

“In SA when aerial surveys are taken of kangaroo populations, feral goats are also counted,” she said. “As of this year, the number of feral goats in SA is about 350,000.”

Ms Brook said the number was historically high, and likely to have been brought about due to a run of good seasons, meaning plenty of food and water was available to the feral goats.

She said feedback from Tuesday’s meeting would be passed on to PIRSA to use as part of preliminary work into a review of the state’s feral goat management.

“There was recognition from the group that domestic and farmed goats are completely different kettles of fish to feral goats,” Ms Brook said.

“There are concerns though that having farmed goats could increase the risk of the feral goat population rising, and it could impact on the neighbours of anyone farming goats.”

Livestock SA president Geoff Power said goats needed to be looked as a resource, even though they were still considered a pest.

“There was consensus at the forum between both conservationists and landholders that feral goat numbers were too high,” he said.

“The vast majority believe we need to be harvesting them in a timely manner.

“With goat prices at $6.50/kg, it’s a great opportunity for landholders and a great opportunity for the economy.”

Conservation tourism property Arkaba Station manager Brendon Bevan said it was a positive meeting.

“Feral goats have a massive impact on native vegetation,” he said. 

“One of the biggest things to come out of the meeting was that everyone agreed conservation was at the heart of what we’re trying to achieve.”